Protective guard for actuating devices



Nov. 5, 1963 H. B. VAN HOOK 3,109,900

PROTECTIVE GUARD FOR ACTUATING DEVICES Filed July 28, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. HARRY B. VANHOOK.

FIG.3

FIG-4 Nov. 5, 1963 H. B. VAN HOOK PROTECTIVE GUARD FOR ACTUATING DEVICES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 28, 1961 FIG-IO FIGS K. 0 0 H N W B. Y R M H FIG.I2

ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,lil9,9l30 PRGTECTIVE GUARD FOR ACTUATlNG DEVICES Harry B. Van Hook, 9224 Texas Ave, Livonia, Mich. Filed July 28, 1961, Ser. No. 127,6tl3 4 Claims. (Cl. 20tl42) This invention relates to protective guards for actuatring devices such as door latch actuators, electrical switch actuators, appliance actuators, vehicle door lock release actuators, the trigger of the gun or any other device where the actuating is normally accessible to adults and children alike.

it is the object of the present invention to provide a guard for actuating devices of the type above, which includes a tubular body of such length as to enclose the actuating device and which is accessible only to an adult finger for operating of the actuating device, as the case may be.

It is a further object of the present device to provide an actuator guard for the purpose of preventing a small child from opening a cupboard door, for example, which cupboard might contain various things known to be dangerous to small children, such as drugs, kitchen utensils, such as knives, tools, keys, etc., while at the same time providing an easy means for an adult or older child to open the door or other device controlled by the actuator, without the necessity of using a key.

Heretofore in the use of keys for locking ofi areas to prevent the access by small children, there was always the possibility that the key would be lost or not readily available when needed. Furthermore, children have a knack of finding and using keys with the result that even with the use of a lock, the average housewife or mother may leave the area unlocked, with no real protection for the child.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a guard mechanism for other dangerous devices, such as the latches for refrigerators, the door of a toolroom or laundry, the release element of a door lock of a vehicle, electrical switches or for the protection of a rifle or revolver.

it is a further object of the present invention to provide a tubular body for the guard which is of such length or which may be adjusted to such length as to render it impossible for the small childs finger to reach the operating device, such as the switch or other actuator or the trigger of a gun.

It is a further obiect of the present invention to provide upon the interior of the housing forming a part of the guard, a baffle means by which other objects may not be projected into the housing for remotely activating the switch or other device which can not be reached by the childs finger.

it is a further obiect of the present invention to provide a protective guard in connection with drawers of various types, doors or closures of any nature, such as cabinet doors for medicine, or for utensils or tools, which may be inherently dangerous, or for medicine cabinets or the like, and including switch mechanisms for electricm devices which in themselves may be inherently dangerous to very small children.

These and other obieots will be seen from the following specification and claims in conjunction with the append ed drawings, in which:

FlG. 1 is a fragmentary front elevational View of a closure, latch means therefor, and with protective guard for the actuator.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary plan view thereof.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

art-asst Patented Nov. 5, 1963 FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line 44 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a front elevational view of a protective guard for an electrical switch.

FIG. 6 is a longitudinal section thereof.

FIG. 7 is a fragmentary side elevational view of a protective guard for the lock release actuator of a vehicle door.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary section taken on line 83 of FIG. 7.

*FIG. 9 corresponds to FIG. 7, and represents a slightly different form of protective guard for the lock release of a vehicle door.

FIG. 10 is an end view taken on line 1tl10 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a schematic View of a rifle showing a protective guard for the trigger mechanism.

FIG. 12 is a fragmentary section on a slightly enlarged scale, taken on line ILL-12 of FIG. 11.

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal section of a tubular guard device for application to the actuator or pushbutton con trol of an appliance.

it is understood that the above drawings illustrate merely a preferred embodiment of the invention, and that other embodiments are contemplated within the scope of he claims hereinafter set forth.

Referring to the drawings, and particularly FIGS. 1 through 4, one form of the present protective guard for actuating means is shown as specifically applied to a closure which may be in the nature of the door of a medicine cabinet, the door of any other type of cabinet, a drawer and appliance closure, such as a refrigerator, or other mechanism.

In the specific embodiment, there is a frame 11 which may be a door jamb, or a framework forming a part of a piece of furniture which surrounds the drawer, or which may represent a part of an appliance having an opening within which is :movably positioned the closure or door 12, there being a suitable latch receiving plate 13 upon the frame or member 11 suitably secured by fasteners 14- adapted to removably and retainingly receive the latch 15 from the locking mechanism 16 of any suitable construction and which has a movable and rotative actuator shaft 18, for illustration.

The present protector device for the said actuator is adapted for locking devices of various types wherein the actuator element 13 may be in the nature of a rotative or movable lever or a push button or the like.

in the illustrative embodiment the actuator 18 is in the nature of a rotative shaft, which is Without the protective guard and which might have a finger piece at its outer end for manual retraction of the latch 15 in a conventional manner.

It is understood, however, that the present protective guard device is applicable to any type of latching mechanism which has an actuator device normally manually operated.

In the present preferred embodiment, or illustrative embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the closure 12 includes a latch generally indicated at in and projecting therefrom a normally manually activated rotative actuator shaft 18. The latch in is secured to the closure in any suitable fashion, as by the fasteners 17, for illustration, it being contemplated that any other mode of attachment or mounting of the latch with respect to the enclosure could be employed.

A protective guard for the said latch is generally indicated at 19, FIG. 2, and includes an enclosing housing having an upright end wall 29, which as shown in FIG. 3 is cutaway as at 21 so as to receive and to snugly enclose the latch mechanism 16 adjacent one edge thereof. The said housing also includes a front wall portion 22,

which overlies the front wall of the said latch 16, being spaced outwardly from the rotative actuator '18. The housing also includes a horizontally disposed top wall 23, and the rearwardly extending upright end wa l 25, which extends to the closure 12 and includes the right angular flange 26 and fasteners 27, for securing the said housing to the closure 12.

The top wall 2% also terminates in the upright securing flange 28, which bears against closure 12 and is fixedly secured thereto by fastener 29, as one mode by wtuch the said housing is secured to said closure. It is contemplated that other means of securing the housing to the closure may be employed.

The present protective guard includes the upright elongated tubular body 30 which is closed at its lower end and which in the illustrative embodiment projects adjacent its lower end down into the housing 19, and is suitably secured thereto, as by welding, or on the other hand forms an integral part thereof, should this be a molded part.

The upper open end of the tubular body 30 is threaded as at 31 so as to receive for longitudinal adjustment thereover the n'nglike cap 32, which is interioriy threaded and which terminates in the outwardly flared portion 33. By this construction, it is possible to vary the length of the tubular body as desired.

As best shown in FIG. 4, a manually operable and movable trigger plate .34 is arranged in an upright position and at its lower end fixedly secured as at 35 to an outer portion of the rotative actuator 18, the said trigger plate 34 being loosely positioned within the slotted portion 3-6, defined within the interior adjacent wall portion of the tubular body 36}, which of course extends within the housing 19 down to the bottom wall 24 thereof.

In the present construction, the tubular body -35} is of such length that only an adults finger, as indicated at F may extend down into the said body for engagement with the actuator plate or trigger plate 34 for operating the actuator 18 and for withdrawing the latch member 15 for releasing the closure 12.

For comparison, there is shown in dotted lines, the image of the childs finger, indicated at f, wherein it is seen that the tubular body 34} is of such length that the childs finger does not reach the actuator plate or trigger plate 34.

While in the preferred embodiment, the trigger plate is actually pivotal about the axis of rotation ofthe actuator 18, it iscontemplated that any other type of actuating means be positioned within the slotted portion 36 formed in the interior wall of the housing for the purpose or actuating a release mechanism for the said latch 15-46.

In the present preferred embodiment of the invention, there is also provided upon the interior of the body 30 above the slotted wall portion thereof corresponding to the slot 36, and directly thereabove, the' inwardly projecting transverse partition 37; the said partition 37 pro jects transversely firom the interior wall portion of the body and extends partway across the opening therein to block oif the said trigger plate against activation by ob ects other than an adults finger.

'For example, a child mightinsert an object, such as a stick or a utensil in m effort to actuate the trigger member '34. Provision of the partition 37, protectively encloses or blocks oif the trigger plate 34 against such unauthorized operation. The fact also that the trigger plate 34 is provisioned loosely through an elongated slotted portion 36 in the interior wall of the housing or body 8i), prevents in most cases activation of the said trigger plate 34, except by an adults finger F, as shown in FIG. 1.

A slight variation of the present invention or a slightly different embodiment thereof is shown in FIGS. and 6, wherein an electrical switch S is provisioned in a conventional mariner within a wail W fragmentarily shown and a conventional cover plate 38 is mounted over the wall adjacent said switch, being slotted in a conventional mannor to receive the switch actuator 39. In the illustrative embodiment, this is an actuator of the type which might be found in a toggle switch, it being contemplated that any other type of actuator plate or button, may be involved in conjunction with the present protective guard shown in FIGS. 5 and 6.

in the illustrative embodiment of FIGS. 5 and 6, there is provided a guard for the said movable actuator 39, which includes an elongated tubular housing 443, which is closed at its lower end 41 with the bottom wail d1 terminating in the downturned securing flange 42, for illustration to receive the fastener 43, which may extend through the conventional aperture in the cover plate 38 for threading into a portion of the electrical switch S, as indicated at 47.

The fastening of the present protective guard, shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, is so arranged as to employ the conventional openings which already exist in the cover plate 38 for most wall switches. Of course it is contemplated that other means may be employed for securing the tubular body 40 to the said wail or cover plate as the case may be, so as to protectively enclose at its lower closed end the actuator 39 of the toggle switch, for illustration.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 6, the tubular elongated body 4% adjacent its lower closed end, has a laterally extend-ing body or housing extension 44-, which engages the front wall of the cover plate 38 so as to protectively enclose the actuator 39. An additional fastoner 46 extends through the rear wall portion of the tubu' lar body 4%} adjacent its upper open end and into the conventional additional aperture in the cover plate 33 and corresponding aperture in the switch S, as indicated at 47 in a reasonably conventional manner.

Access to the fastening screw 46 is achieved through the registering aperture 45 formed in the front Wail portion of the tubular body 40, as best shown in FIG. 6, through which a screwdriver may be projected, as desired.

The partition 48 is arranged upon the interior of the tubular body 40 at a point above the actuator 39, and projects inwardly from said Wall so as to prevent unauthorized activation of the actuator 39 by some device other than an adults finger, as shown at F, FIG. 1. The partition 48 thus extends partway across the opening in the tubular body, whereas the said actuator 39 may be engaged only by an adult finger in most cases.

At the same time the housing 40 is of such length as to prevent actuation of the member 39, except by an aduits finger, the childs finger, as shown at 1, FIG. 1, being too short for this purpose.

A means is provided also for regulating the length of the housing 40 should this be necessary. This is provided as shown in FIG. 5 by virtue of the interiorly threaded ring-like cap 56 which is outwardly flared at 51 and which is threadediy mounted and adjusted over the outer open end as at 49 of the said housing to thus provide a means for regulating the length thereof.

In the operation of the protective guard shown in FIG 5 and 6-, the adult finger F, shown in FIG. 1, is projected down through the opening 52 for activation of the actuator 39, in the same manner as above described in respect to FIG. 1.

it is contemplated as a part of the present invention that the open end of the protective guard housing may be projected downwardly, rather than upwardly, as shown in FIG. 6.

The present invention also is adapted for many other usages which will protect actuating means which are normally manually releasable. For example in FIGS. 7 and 8, there is shown fragmentarily the closure or door 54 of a vehicle having a top wall portion 53 arranged inwardly of the glass therefore, and upon which is mounted and secured a protective guard.

The door locking means includes the retractable actuator 55, which is normally projected up through the top wall portion 53, and is depressed downwardly such as in the position shown in FIG. 7 when the door is locked. T release the lock, normally the said actuator may be manually elevated.

The purpose of the present guard, of course, is to prevent a small child from lifting the lock release mechanism 55. Often this is done with the result that the rear door, for example, or any other door of the vehicle may accidentally be opened and the child fall out.

The present protective guard for the actuator shown for a vehicle door which releases the locking mechanism therefore, is in the nature of an open ended housing 55 which includes the parallel upright side walls 57, shown in FIG. 8 and the opposed downwardly and inwardly extending end walls 58. Securing tabs or flanges 64 project from the lower ends of the walls 58, and are secured to the top Wall portion of the door at 53, as by the fasteners 65.

It is contemplated in this connection also that the said housing 56 may be secured in any other suitable fashion to the top wall 53 of the door 54.

The housing 56 is so arranged upon the said top wall portion 53 as to receive and protectively enclose the lock release actuator 55, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The said housing provides a chamber 59, which is adapted to receive a pair of fingers of an adult hand, as shown in FIG. 7, by which the actuator 55 may be manually retracted, as desired, for release of the lock, the said housing being of such height as to normally prevent introduction of a childs finger, or fingers, for such purpose.

In addition to the correct height for the said housing there is provided a transverse bafiie plate 6 3, which bridges the upper open end of the housing and which includes the opposed depending parallel flanges 61, which bear against interior wall portions of the side walls 57 of the said housing, and is adjustably secured to central portions thereof as by the opposed fasteners 62.

The series of additional apertures, preferably threaded, if desired, :are formed as at 63 through the flanges 61 by which the said bafile 66 may be adjusted longitudinally of the length of the said housing and to cooperate therewith so as to prevent the introduction thereinto of the I childs finger for the purpose of releasing the actuator 55, but at the same time permit the introduction of an adult pair of fingers as shown in FIG. 7, for this purpose.

FIGS. 9 and show a slightly different form of protective guard for the lock release actuator 63 of the vehicle door 67, which is provided with a corresponding top wall 66. Here there is provided an elongated horizontally disposed housing generally indicated at 69 which overlies the top wall portion 66 and normally extends at an acute angle with respect thereto.

The said housing 66 includes the parallel spaced top and bottom walls 7 0 and 71 respectively, the said bottom wall 71 being apertured as at 71' to loosely receive the retractable actuator 68 which forms a part of the door locking means and which is of a conventional construction.

The said actuator 68 projects up into the interior of the said housing 69, as best shown in FIG. 10. The said housing includes also a pair of substantially upright arcuate end walls 72-73 which at their ends merge providing the enclosed interior end portion of the said housing. The opposite ends of the said side walls 7Z73 are spaced apart to thus define an entrance opening 74 for the lateral introduction of the fingers of an adult, as shown in FIG. 9 for activation or release or movement of the said retractable actuator 68.

The said protective guard housing 69 is completed by the application of a pair of baifies indicated at 77 and at 78, which are so arranged within the said housing as to permit the insertion of a pair of adult fingers for the purpose of releasing the lock release member 63, but which are so arranged and of such size and location as to prevent the introduction of a pair of childrens fingers for this purpose.

.5 The upright baflle plate 77, secured at its upper and lower edges to and between the top and bottom plates 71 of the said housing respectively, and the upright edge portions thereof are spaced inwardly of the adjacent opposed side walls 72 and 73.

A second baiiie 7 of U-shape in a preferred embodiment, including the depending leg portions 79, extends transversely across the central open portion of the said housing parallel to the first mentioned baffle 77, and is adjustably secured to the top wall portions of the said housing and by the fastener For this purpose a series of apertures 81, possibly threaded if desired, are formed through the legs 79 of the said bafile to cooperatively receive the opposed fasteners 30 providing a means by which the said baffie 78 may be adjusted longitudinally of the said housing. Accordingly, the said housing is of such height and the bafiles are so positioned including the longitudinal adjustment of the baffle 78, that only an adult pair of fingers, as shown FlG. 9, may be projected into the said housing and upon opposite sides of the said bafile plates for operating the actuator 68.

A protective guard for the trigger of a gun is also shown, for illustration in FIGS. 1-1 and 12, the said gun including a conventional stock 82, fragmentarily shown and projecting thereunder the conventional trigger 83. The guard for the said trigger comprises an elongated tubular body 84, which at its open end has an adjustable outwardly flared ring 85 thereon.

The opposite end of the tubular body is closed as at 86, and the said tubular body is cutaway and mounted over the undersurface portion of the stock 82 so as to protectively enclose the trigger 83. The body is suitably secured to the stock as by the fastener 87, for illustration.

A partition 89 projects inwardly from one side wall portion of the said 'body so as to normally lie in front of the trigger 33 to prevent activation thereof, except by an adults finger F projected into the said housing through its open end as at 85. Accordingly, the said partition 89, partly blocks the opening in the said tubular body to preent the insertion of objects which might otherwise possibly actuate the trigger 83. The said housing 84, as shown at 88, extends laterally outward as at 88 to thus provide clearance space for the users finger, being the finger of an adult, by which the trigger 83 may be activated, as desired.

The illustration shown in F168. 11 and His sche matic, but is believed to demonstrate the use of applicants protective guard or tubular body, which is of such length that when mounted over and to protectively enclose the trigger prevents unauthorized activation thereof, except by the finger of an adult user.

A slight variation of the present invention, is shown in PEG. =l3 wherein the numeral 90 is intended to designate some portion of an appliance which has push-button control @l, or switching mechanism of a general character, which is protectively enclosed by the guard 92.

The said guard is in the nature of an elongated tubular body, which is closed by a bottom wall and is so constructed as to overlie and protectively enclose the control member 9 1 or pushbutton of the appliance 9t), and is suitably secured thereto as by the fasteners 94 which extend through outwardly extending flanges 3 on the said body 92 and which cooperatively engage the front wall portion of the appliance 9%.

A partition as projects inwardly from the interior wall portion of the said body above the actuator 91 to thus prevent introduction into the body through its open end of any object other than an adult finger for the purpose of actuating the said member 9-1, which may be a switch, or the like, or a release button.

The upper open end of the tubular body has mounted thereover the ring 97, which is threadedly mounted thereon for illustration, and which includes the outwardly flared portion 9a; through which an adult finger may be introduced for the purpose of activating the actuator 91 forming a part of the appliance The purpose of the illustration in FIG. 13 is to show the wide usages to which the present protective guard may the adapted for the purposes intended and as above set out in detail.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to the following claims.

I claim:

1. A switch guard for a manually operable switch memlber mounted upon and extending outwardly of a Wall surface, comprising a long, relatively narrow tube, adapted to receive an adult human finger; one end of the tube being open and the opposite end thereof being closed; an axially elongated, switch member receiving opening formed in the tube wall near the closed end thereof and being of a size and shape to loosely receive a movable switch member therethrough and permit switching movement of the switch member relative to the tube; and means for securing the tube axially parallel to and closely adjacent the wall surface at a location wherein the switch member extends through said switch receiving opening and is confined within the tube, the tube being otherwise closed to access to the switch so that access to the switch is provided only through its open end.

2. A construction as defined in claim 1 and including a partition :formed within the tube approximately midway between the tube ends and between the tube open end and the switch member receiving opening and extending transversely of the tube axis from the side of the tube from which the switch receiving opening is formed towards the opposite side, but terminating short of the axis of the tube to thus partially block the tube interior between the switch member and the tube open end to further restrict access to the switch.

3. A construction as defined in claim 1, the open end of the tube being threaded, and a longitudinally adjustable outwardly flared ring-like cap threaded upon said open end.

4. in a combination electrical switch and switch guard including an electrical switch secured to a Wall surface and having a movable, manually operable switching member extending outwardly of the wall surface, and a cover plate arranged against the wall surface and covering the switch, the cover plate having an aperture through which the switching member extends and having a screw receiving hole located above and a screw receiving hole located below the switching member through which screws may be inserted for engagement with corresponding threaded screw receiving holes formed in the electrical switch, the improvement comprising a long, narrow, vertically arranged tube of a length and diameter adapted to receive an adult human finger; the upper end of the tube being open and the lower end of the tube being closed; a vertically elongated slot formed in the tube wall adjacent its lower closed end and being or" a size to loosely receive the switching member and permit move ment of the switching member relative to the tube; means securing the tube to the wall surface with the switching member fitted through and confined Within the tube, said means including a pair of screws'engaging the tube and each passed through one or" the cover plates screw receiving holes and threadedly engaging in the corresponding electrical switch threaded screw receiving hole for thus fastening the tube and the cover plate to the wall surface, the tube wall being otherwise closed to access to the switch so that the switch may be reached only by inserdon of an adult human finger and the like into the tube through the tube open end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 7 1,828,698 Berry Oct. 20, 1931 2,587,285 Broscoe Feb. 26, 1952 2,824,915 Buturuga Feb. 25, 1958 2,883,850 Falck Apr. 28, 1959 2,998,500 Di Carlo Aug. 29, 1961 

1. A SWITCH GUARD FOR A MANUALLY OPERABLE SWITCH MEMBER MOUNTED UPON AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF A WALL SURFACE, COMPRISING A LONG, RELATIVELY NARROW TUBE, ADAPTED TO RECEIVE AN ADULT HUMAN FINGER; ONE END OF THE TUBE BEING OPEN AND THE OPPOSITE END THEREOF BEING CLOSED; AN AXIALLY ELONGATED, SWITCH MEMBER RECEIVING OPENING FORMED IN THE TUBE WALL NEAR THE CLOSED END THEREOF AND BEING OF A SIZE AND SHAPE TO LOOSELY RECEIVE A MOVABLE SWITCH MEMBER THERETHROUGH AND PERMIT SWITCHING MOVEMENT OF THE SWITCH MEMBER RELATIVE TO THE TUBE; AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE TUBE AXIALLY PARALLEL TO AND CLOSELY ADJACENT THE WALL SURFACE AT A LOCATION WHEREIN THE SWITCH MEMBER EXTENDS THROUGH SAID SWITCH RECEIVING OPENING AND IS CONFINED WITHIN THE TUBE, THE TUBE BEING OTHERWISE CLOSED TO ACCESS TO THE SWITCH SO THAT ACCESS TO THE SWITCH IS PROVIDED ONLY THROUGH ITS OPEN END. 